Frame support and drive means for printing machines



April 24, 1951 2,549,813

FRAME SUPPORT AND DRIVE MEANS FOR'PRINTING MACHINES w. F. HUCK ETAL 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 15, 1945 'INVENTORS ATTO EY will April 24, 1951 w. F. HUCK EIAL 2,549,813

FRAME SUPPORT AND DRIVE MEANS FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 15, 1945 a e Sheets-Sheet 2 m @156- 7 ATTOREY April 24, 1951 w. F. HUCK ETAL 2,549,813

FRAME SUPPORT AND DRIVE MEANS FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 15, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS I IE4 ATTO" EY April 24, 1951 w. F. HUCK ETAL FRAME SUPPORT AND DRIVE MEANS FOR PRINTING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 15, 1945 INVENTORS Wilm m m 7 ATTORNEY w m m N Q V T w April 24, 1951 w. F. HUCK ETAL FRAME SUPPORT AND DRIVE MEANS FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 15, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 April 24, 1951 w. F. HUCK ETAL 9 9 FRAME SUPPORT AND DRIVE MEANS FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 15, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Apr. 24, 19 51 FRAME SUPPORT AND DRIVE MEANS FOR PRINTING MACHINES William F. Huck, Forest Hills, N. Y., and Anton Stobb, Union Township, Hunterdon County, N. J assignors to R. Hoe & 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 15, 1945, Serial No. 577,980

9Claims. 1

This invention relates to printing machines and more particularly to large web fed printing machines having a plurality of individual printing units arranged in alignment for use primarily in printing newspapers.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved web printing machine made up of a plurality of substructure units, printing units, spacing members, superstructure units and folders, which without change of design, may be arranged in various combinations as may be required to produce a desired range of printed products.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved printing machine having self-contained printing units, in each of which all of the gearing and driving mechanism of the unit and also a portion of the main driving shaft of the machine, is enclosed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an enclosed printing unit having novel means operable from outside of the enclosure for reversing some or all of the printing cylinders.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved printing unit with afully enclosed driving mechanism, and in which access to the printing cylinders, all of the ink rollers, and all of the rollers about which the web is led, is not restricted by the driving mechanism.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a web fed printing machine of generally improved construction, whereby the variou units of the machine will include all desirable features, and will be simple, as well as convenient and efficient in use. Other objects of the invention -will appear in the following description and claims. v

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is an elevational front view with certain cover members omitted, showing a web fed printing machine composed of a plurality of web supplying devices, and a plurality of printing units, combined with a folder and web forwardrection of the arrows 3 of Figure 2, and along the irregular line 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view showing a portion of the driving mechanism taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing a portion of the cylinder reversing mechanism taken along the line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6--6 of Figure 5, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure '7 is a view, partly in section, showing another portion of the cylinder reversing mechanism taken along the line '!1 of Figure 1, at the rear of the unit;

Figure 8 is a view, partly in section, taken along the line 8-8 of Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the printing units, with some parts omitted and other parts broken away.

Referring to the drawings, the invention has been shown in Figures '1 to 9, which depict a printing machine including a plurality of printing units, of which there are shown herein, two non-reversible units l1 and i8, and one reversible unit l9, a plurality of web roll reels l5, web tension controlling mechanisms IS, a plurality of web forwarding units 2 I, a main line drive shaft 22 and a folder 23, assembled to produce a complete printing machine for operating upon a pinrality of webs 20. Except for the reversible feature of the printing unit l9, that is more fully described hereinafter, the three printing units l1, l8 and i9 are identical in structure. In Figure l the printing unit I! is shown with printing cylinders and inking rollers, while the units It and I9 are shown with the gearing and chain drive respectively. I

Web supplying devices each comprising a web roll reel [5, and web tensioning devices l6 are supported from a substructure having a plurality of front and, back columns 26 each having a bracket 21 secured thereto for supporting the web roll reel l 5. Columns 26 that are not immediately adjacent are joined together at. their tops by horizontal spacers 28 to form a substructure.

Box-type front and back printing unit side frames a and b respectively (Figures 1 and 2), are each made in the general form of .a box with a rectangular walled opening or passage 4| extending through its center portion.- Compartments are thus formed-for all of the gearing associated with the printing unit, including the driving gears and the main shaft. Frontand back frames a and b are each provided with a T slot 33 extending along its under side and holes 34 in the top portion of the columns 26, and the spacers 28 receive bolts 36 whichengage nuts 35 in the slots 33 to fasten the frames 44a and 44b to the substructure. Due to the .longitudinally extending slots 33, the printing units II, I8 and I9 can be positioned at any desired location, lengthwise of the printing machine, and with respect to the columns 28. Cap members 41a and 41b, forming the top of the side frames 44a and 441) respectively, are formed with posts 29 on which rest the web forwarding units 2| and other superstructure members 38 and 39. The outward-facing sides of the frames 44a and 44b are closed by a plurality of removable covers 5I, 52, 53 and 54. Some of the covers, as for example the cover 52, are provided with cover plates such as 56 that can be removed to give access to certain portions of the internal mechanism. Adjacent printing units are spaced lengthwise of the printing machine by box-type front and rear spacers 31a and 31b (Figure 4), which rest on the front and rear columns 28 and spacers 28. The lower portion 49 of the front frame 44a is formed with a plurality of vertical ribs 58 which support bearings for the horizontal drive shaft 22.

The lower portions of the frame 44a "and of the frame 44b of each printing unit are preferably connected by flanged tubular members 51 attached to the frame members by bolts 58. Between the front and rear spacers 31a and 311), a motor 59 is supported by brackets 6I secured to the adjacent tubular members 51. The front end of the motor 59 is provided with a flange 62, and secured to the front spacer 31a. A ventilating hood 83 and an air duct 84 extend from the rear of the motor and through the rear spacer 31b as shown in Figure 4. Preferably the air ducts for each motor 59 will be connected to a supply of cool air from a blower, not shown.

The main line shaft 22, composed of a plurality of shaft sections 66 (Figure 4), joined by couplings 81, extends the complete length of the printing machine and is journaled in parts of the lower portion of each front frame 44a and in the front spacers 31a. The shaft 22 is driven by each motor 59 through bevel gears 88 and 69 secured to the motor shaft II and a shaft 22 section respectively. The main line shaft 22 drives the various printing units I1, I8 and I9 through bevel gears I2, 13, I4 and I8. The shaft 22 also by a pair of bevel gears 16, drives a horizontal cross shaft (not shown). The horizontal shaft, by a pair of bevel gears drives a vertical shaft 11 which in turn, drives rollers carried by the superstructure. The bevel gears I3 and 14 for driving the reversible unit I9 are rotatably mounted on the main line shaft 22 and. are both in mesh with a large bevel gear I8 (Figures 1 and 4). The gears 13 and I4 each have a coupling face 8I and I9 respectively which is engaged alternatively by a double ended coupling member 82 that may move lengthwise of the shaft 22 but is keyed against rotation thereon. When the coupling member 82 is moved lengthwise of the shaft to engage the coupling face I9, the cylinders of the printing unit I9 will be driven in one direction, and when the coupling member is moved to engage the coupling face 8|, the printing unit cylinders will be driven in the opposite direction As herein shown, the double ended coupling member 82 of the reversible printing unit I9 is operated by mechanism including a shaft 83 (Figure 2), carried by the Turning the shaft 83 by a wrench (not shown),

moves the coupling member 82 lengthwise of the main shaft 22 and connects it to either the gear 13 or gear I4, and thereby drives the reversible printing unit in either direction desired. The

units I1 and I8 are driven by the gear 12, permanently secured to the shaft 22 and in mesh with gears 18. Each bevel gear I8 is secured to a cross shaft 88 (Figures 2 and 4) that carries a web guiding roller 89. The shaft 88 is journaled in bearings 9I and 92 that are secured to the front and rear frames. A driving sprocket wheel 93 secured near the rear end of the shaft 88 cooperates with a chain 94 (Figures 1, 2 and 3), to drive each printing unit through a driven sprocket wheel 96 supported on an impression cylinder shaft 91. Sprocket wheels 98 and I8I are supported from the rear frame and are equipped with an eccentric type tightening means I88 operated'by a wrench 99 for tightening or loosening the chain as desired. The chain 94 is carried from the driving sprocket wheel 93 to the sprocket wheel 98, then to the driven sprocket wheel 98, then to the sprocket wheel WI, and then back to the sprocket wheel 93 in such a manner that all the parts are contained within the frame enclosure. This permits the opening 4| in the center of the frame entirely free of operating mechanism.

The shaft 88 also carries a bevel gear I82 (Figures 2 and 4) on its extreme rear portion. The gear I82 cooperates with a bevel gear I83 secured to one end of a diagonally extending shaft I84 (Figure 1), the other end of which is connected to drive belts I81 of the web tensioning mechanism I8, through a pair of bevel gears in agear box I88.

Each printing unit I'I, I8 and I9 has two printing couples composed of cylinders I88I23 and II3-I22 respectively. The shaft 91 (Figure 3). which is journaled in the main front and rear frame members 44a and 44b in addition to carrying the driven sprocket 96, and the impression cylinder I88, has a helical gear I89 slidable axially on the shaft 91 (Figure 7), but secured against rotation thereon. The gear I89, when in the position shown in Figure 3', meshes with a second helical gear III mounted on the back end of a shaft I I2 of the second impression cylinder II3. Helical gears H4 and H8, secured to the front ends of the impression cylinder shafts H2 and 91, are each in mesh with helical gears H9 and I2I secured to the front ends of shafts I24 and I26 for driving the form cylinders I22 and I23 respectively. The shafts I24 and I25, that are journaled in the front and rear frame members 44a and 44b each carry at their rear end, a spur gear I2! for driving inking cylinders I28 and I29 of the printing unit in a well known manner. For example, each gear I21 is in mesh with an intermediate gear I3I which is in mesh with the first of a train of ink motion gears I32, I33 and I34. The shafts I35 and I38 of the inking cylinders are provided with a reciprocating mechanism I31, preferably constructed in accordance with Patent No. 2,282,655 issued May 12, 1942. The driving mechanism is all fully enclosed by the frames. and it is lubricated by an oil circulating system (not shown) having a gauge I48 (Flgure2) for indicating the oil pressure.

The inking rollers I38 and I39 (Figure 2) are preferably supported from a plurality of cam brackets I45 more fully shown and'described in Patent No. 2,383,970.

An ink pump I42, preferably of the type shown in Patent No. 2,469,796, is employed, there being one for each printing couple. The pump I 42 is driven through a pinion I41 which meshes with the gear II9 (Figure 2). A clutch I50, having an operating handle I56 connects a shaft I43, which carries a bevel gear I44'and has a wrench engaging portion I46, with the pinion I41. A bevel gear I48 in mesh with gear I44 is carried on a shaft I49 which drives the ink pump I42. The ink pump is supported on a bracket I5I having lugs I52 slidably fitted to the front unit frame member 4411. An ink rail I53, through which ink is supplied to the ink cylinder I29, is

secured to the bracket I5I, and a pair of fluid pressure cylinders I54 are provided for raising and lowering the ink rail I53 with the bracket I5I and the pump I42 attached thereto.

To reverse the direction of rotation of the impression cylinder H3 and the form cylinder I22 of the printing unit I9, with respect to the ro-, tation of cylinders I08 and I23 respectively, the helical gear I09 (Figures 3 and '1) is slipped out of engagement with the impression cylinder gear III and into a recess I51 provided inside of the driven sprocket wheel 96, and a slip gear I58' (Figures 1, 3 and 5) is meshed with both of the impression cylinder gears II4 and H6. When this is done, the second impression cylinder H3 is driven in a direction opposite to that in which it is driven when the gears I09 and III are in mesh. The mechanism by which the impression cylinder gear I09 is thus moved, includes a sleeve I66 (Figure 7), having a flange I59 and secured to the end of the shaft 91 by a key I60, and the sprocket wheel 96 has an internal bore I61 which is fitted to the outside of the sleeve I66. An end plate I63 is secured to the end of theshaft 91 by a plurality of bolts I64, and a shear pin I68 drives the plate I63 and causes the shaft 91 to rotate with the driven sprocket wheel 96. A collar I69 carried within the recess I51, on a hub I12 of the sprocket 96, has an outside diameter equal to the outside diameter of the flange I59 and the collar I69 has a flange I1I.

The collar I69 is secured to the sleeve I66 by a plurality of bolts I13 screw threaded into the flange I59, and the periphery of the flange I1I has notches I14 each acting as a bearing for a shaft I16. Small sprocket wheels I11 are secured to the shafts I16, and a bicycle type chain I8I (Figure 8) is led about the sprockets. Each shaft I16 is provided with collars I82 and I83 positioned to engage opposite sides of the flange Ill, and also has a threaded stem I84 that is screwed into a threaded hole in the gear I09. One of the shafts I14 is formed with a squared end I86 for receiving a wrench I81 (Figure '1), which after removing a hand hole cover I85, may be passed through a hole I88 in the large sprocket wheel 96, when the sprocket wheel is turned to bring the hole opposite the hand hole. When I08, includes (Figures 3, 5 and 6), a flanged stud I9I secured to the front frame 44a. by bolts I92. The stud I9I, at its unflang'ed end, is bifurcated to form two semi-cylindrical fork members I93 and I94, each of which near its outer end is provided with an internal shoulder I96 and an externallythreaded portion I91. A sleeve I98, longitudinally slidable on the stud. I9I, carries the inner race of two ball bearings I99, the outer races of which'carry the slip gear I58. The left hand end of the collar I98, as seen in Figure 5, is secured by screws 20I to a specially formed nut 202 positioned in the slot formed by the fork members I93 and I94. The nut 202 is engaged by a screw 203 having a wrench engaging portion 204 and a collar 206. The screw 203 is prevented from longitudinal movement in one direction by a cap nut 208, that is screwed to the threaded portion I91, and held from movement in the opposite direction by a sleeve 201, that abuts the shoulder I96. Turning the screw 203 causes the sleeve I98 and the gear I58 to move axially along the stud I9I and thus engage or disengage the slip gear with the two gears H4 and 'I I6.

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of the outside of one of the printing units, with the cover broken away, the driving mechanisms removed, and some of the cylinder shafts cut ofi to better show the construction of the front box-type side frame 44a, in the lower portion of which the line shaft 22 and its associated members is carried. This view also shows the cover of the ink pump I42 through which the regulating screws project, and shows hinged outside cylinder-guard panels 228, 229, and 230, and similar inside panels 23I and 232. tend between the front and backv frames and are arranged to be swung out of the way to give access to the cylinders and inking mechanism for minor adjustments, and are readily removable.

As each web 20 leaves the web supply mechanism, it. is carried by the usual guide rollers to the printing cylinders, and as each printed web 20 leaves .its printing unit, it is led about guide rollers 2 to one of the web forwarding units 2I, each of which may include a Web propelling roller 2I2, one or more slitters 2I3, turnin bars 2I1, and guide rollers, as required. The web forwarding units 2| are similar in construction and are stacked one upon another. In each unit 2| the web propelling roller'2l2 cooperates with the slitting knife 2I3 to drive the web and to slit it into two ribbons 2I4 and 2I6. The ribbon 2I4 from each web, passes over turning bars 2I1 and thereby is aligned with the ribbon 2I6.

The ribbons then pass over guide rollers and about other web propelling rollers 2I8 and are carried to the folder 23. Other ribbons v2I9, from printing units not shown, also pass over rollers 22I and web propelling rollers 222 and then are carried to the folder 23. The web propelling rollers are driven by means of the vertical shaft 11, from the main drive shaft by the bevel gears 16. The shaft 11 is geared to a pair of horizontal shafts 223 and 224, which in turn drive the several web'propelling rollers 2I8 and 222, and the horizontal shaft 224 is also connected by a pair of bevel gears 226, to a vertical illlgft 221 for driving the web propelling rollers From the foregoing description it is evident that a printing machine for simultaneously printing any desired number of webs can be as- These panels exsembled, using the required number of printing units, folders and other unit parts herein disclosed. The substructure can be assembled using front and back columns 26, for supporting the web roll reels 15, each below its printing unit, and front and back horizontal spacers 28, used where necessary for spacing the web roll reels, and below the folders. The reels require more space longitudinally of the machine than the printing units, and hence the reels and units are not vertically aligned, but the tension controlling mechanism for each reel is driven by its associated printin unit by using a connecting shaft Hill of suitable length. Also any number of web forwarding units 2! as required may be stacked in order to associate all of the webs to be printed and forwarded to the adjacent folder.

It is also evident that with printing units having the box-type of frame herein disclosed, in which the driving mechanism is all within the frame structure, a wide opening is left through the center of the frame on both sides of the machine, making all of the rollers and cylinders of each unit far more accessible than in conventional printing units, and making it much easier to thread a web through the machine. Furthermore, the location of the controls for the ink pumps and the mechanism for reversing the cylinders, and for adjusting the chain, all being accessible from the outside of the frame, contribute to makin the printing unit herein disclosed much more convenient to operate than any heretofore known.

It is also evident that the printing machine disclosed can be operated with covers removed to expose any or all of the gearing and drive shafts. This is possible, because all of the shafts, gearing, and other moving parts are. supported from main frame members and not by the covers. The arrangement is especially advantageous when the machine is being assembled, and when it is desirable to observe the mechanism in operation.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specfic forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being made to the claims rather than to the foregoing description for an indication of the scope of the invention.

What we claim is:

1. In a multi-unit web printing machine, a plurality of substructure supporting means, a plurality of first spacers for the supporting means, the top surfaces of the said supporting means and spacers forming a common plane, a plurality of web printing units with bottom portions arranged to rest on the supporting means and the first spacers, a plurality of second spacers for the printing units with bottom portions arranged to rest on the supporting means and the first spacers, the bottom portions of the printing units and of the second spacers each having a longitudinal slot providing an anchorage for fastening devices, and a plurality of fastening devices spaced along the supporting means and first spacers at separated points for cooperation with the longitudinal slot, whereby th printing units and the second spacers can be secured to the supporting means and the first spacers in any position lengthwise of the printing machine.

2. In a multi-unit web printing machine, a plurality of web supplying devices, a supporting means for each web supplying device, a plurality of first spacers for the supporting means, the

top surfaces of the said supporting means and spacers forming a common plane, a plurality of web printing units with bottom portions arranged to rest on the supporting means and the first spacers, a plurality of second spacers for the printing units with bottom portions arranged to rest on the supporting means and the first spacers, the bottom portions of the printing units and the second spacers having a longitudinal slot, and a plurality of fastening device spaced along the supporting means and first spacers at separated points for cooperation with the longitudinal slot, whereby the printing units and the second spacers can be placed in any position lengthwise of the printing machine and with respect to the supporting means and first spacers.

3. In a printing machine having an aligned plurality of individual printing units each having a pair of front and back box-type side frames, a box-type spacer positioned between adjacent front side frames, a box-type spacer positioned between adjacent back side frames and a main drive shaft housed in the frames and spacers along one side of the machine.

4. A printing machine for operating upon a plurality of webs comprising an aligned plurality of printing units having front and back side frame members, front and back spacer members for separating the printing units, a drive shaft running lengthwise of the line of printing units and arranged to drive the printing units, and a motor for driving the drive shaft positioned between the front and back spacer members.

5. In a multi-unit web printing machine, an aligned plurality of printing units each having a pair of front and back box-type side frames, front and back box-type spacers for separating the printing units, a main line drive shaft located on one side of the line of printing units and housed in the unit side frames and adjacent spacer members, and a motor positioned between a pair of the front and back spacers for driving the main line drive shaft.

6. In a multi-unit web printing machine having a plurality of printing units, a folder, and a. main driving shaft, 2, substructure having horizontal top members with integrally formed supporting posts and spacer members, the spacer members and the top members being fastened together to form a continuous sub-frame, and printing units supp rted on the sub-frame and having box-type frames, each enclosing a portion of the main shaft and driving gears for one of the units.

7. In a printing machine having a main drive shaft and a plurality of individual printing units for operatin upon a web fed from a web supplying device, each printing unit having a front and a back side frame, the main drive shaft being associated with one of the side frames, a, driven mechanism associated with the other side frame, and a cross shaft connecting the driven mechanism to the drive shaft, the said cross shaft carrying a roller forengaging the web as it passes from the web supplying device to the printing unit.

8. In a printing machine having an aligned plurality of individual printing units each having a pair of front and back box-type side frames, box-type spacing means positioned between adjacent printing units, and a main drive shaft housed in the side frames and the box-type spacing means along one side of the machine.

9. In a printing machine having a plurality of individual printing units connected to a common drive shaft, each unit having a pair of front and back box-type side frames with passages therethrough accommodating the drive shaft, members connecting the side frames, a plurality of cylinders rotatably supported between the side frames, a plurality of gears located in the side frames for driving the cylinders, one side frame of each unit having bearings for the common drive shaft, and a motor for each unit supported between adjacent units by the connecting members and geared to the drive shaft.

WILLIAM F. HUCK. ANTON STOBB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Pancoast June 4, 1912 White May 30, 1916 Henderson Jan. 8,1918 Ball June 18, 1918 Bechman Jan. 12, 1926 Brueshaber Aug. 31, 1926 Jackson Aug. 15, 1933 Wood Aug. 4, 1936 Crafts et a1. June 1, 1937 Dean Jan. 11, 1938 Luehrs Sept. 13, 1938 Battey et a1. Oct. 31, 1939 Cline Feb. 11, 1941 Wood et a1. June 30, 1942 

